The invention relates generally to combined cable and telephone communication systems and, more particularly, to a user interface having multiple menu hierarchies for selecting local house or feeder to a house programming, telephone, and Internet services using a hybrid optical fiber and twisted pair and/or coaxial cable connected multiplexing line. The menus are implemented on a video telephone or similar device with a touch-sensitive screen display for interactively displaying video and accompanying audio signals and menu screens.
As deregulation of the telephone industry continues and as companies prepare to enter the local telephone access market, there is a need to offer new and innovative, high bandwidth services that distinguish common carriers from their competitors. This cannot be accomplished without introducing new local access network architectures that will be able to support these new and innovative services.
Conventionally, customer premises telephone and/or data connections contain splitters for separating analog voice calls from other data services such as Ethernet transported over digital subscriber line (DSL) modems. Voice band data and voice signals are sent through a communications switch in a central or local office to an interexchange carrier or Internet service provider. DSL data is sent through a digital subscriber loop asynchronous mode (DSLAM) switch which may include a router. The DSLAM switch connects many lines and routes the digital data to a telephone company""s digital switch.
A major problem with this configuration is that interexchange carriers attempting to penetrate the local telephone company""s territory must lease trunk lines from the local telephone company switch to the interexchange carrier company""s network for digital traffic. Furthermore, the Internet service provider must lease a modem from the local phone company in the DSLAM switch and route its data through the local phone company""s digital switch. Thus, the local phone company leases and/or provides a significant amount of equipment, driving up the cost of entry for any other company trying to provide local telephone services and making it difficult for the interexchange companies to differentiate their services. Furthermore, since DSL modem technology is not standardized, in order to ensure compatibility, the type of DSL modem provided by the local telephone company must also be the same type provided to the end user in the customer premises equipment (CPE). Additionally, since the network is not completely controlled by the interexchange companies, it is difficult for the interexchange companies to provide data at committed delivery rates and/or desired quality levels. Any performance improvements implemented by the interexchange companies may not be realized by their customers, because the capabilities of the local telephone company equipment may or may not meet their performance needs. Thus, it is difficult for the interexchange companies to convince potential customers to switch to their equipment or to use their services. These factors ensure the continued market presence of the local telephone company.
Another opportunity to bypass the local telephone company is for the interexchange carrier to employ wireless means of reaching the local telecommunications service subscriber. In co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/001,363, filed Dec. 31, 1997, entitled xe2x80x9cISD Wireless Networkxe2x80x9d, it was suggested to provide a wireless integrated service director for communicating with wireless subscriber apparatus. Also, from other U.S. Patent Applications, for example, in xe2x80x9cCircuit-Switched Switching Systemxe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,370, issued Nov. 2, 1999, it is known to provide satellite or other wireless connections directly to the local subscriber, thus bypassing the local network and the local telephone company.
Yet another opportunity for bypassing the local telephone company is the provision of telecommunications services over known coaxial cable or hybrid optical fiber coaxial cable television transmission systems utilizing cable television spectrum in the downstream (toward the subscriber) and upstream (toward the cable television headend) paths for such services. For example, Time Warner has been experimenting with the provision of telecommunications services to and among cable television service subscribers in various geographic regions of the country with marginal success.
As part of this system, there is a need for improved architectures, services and equipment utilized to distinguish the interexchange companies"" products and services.
As new services which require the transfer of large amounts of data over existing telephone networks are created, so is there an equal increase in the need for specialized devices or peripherals that will allow users to gain access to these enhanced services. Users are already overwhelmed by the number of access devices that they have to obtain and interact with in order to access these enhanced services. As a result, there exists a need to create one device that can transparently provide speedy access to all of these enhancement services.
With a proliferation of new services, users now require an integrated device that incorporates access to all of the different services that might be available into a single access device. The present invention provides such a device. It seamlessly integrates traditional telephoning functions with advanced computer functions such as advertising, directory assistance, customer service, etc., and video display to form a unique, single platform that incorporates a high speed link into the network to give the user direct access to these services. Presently, many different hardware platforms are used to independently provide access to these services. The present invention integrates access to these services into a single platform with a user friendly interface.
In order to provide an improved network, it is desirable for the interexchange companies to have access to at least one of the twisted-pair lines, coaxial cable, hybrid fiber facilities with either twisted pair or coaxial cable or alternate wireless facility connecting each of the individual users to the local cable television or toll telephone or hybrid network before the lines are routed through the conventional local telephone network equipment. It is preferable to have access to these lines prior to any modem or switching technology offered by the local telephone service providers. By having access to the twisted-pair wires or coaxial cable or hybrid facilities entering or leading to the customer""s premises, interexchange companies can differentiate their services by providing higher bandwidth, improving the capabilities of the customer premises equipment, and lowering overall system costs to the customer by providing competitive service alternatives.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the interexchange carrier may obtain access to the coaxial cable feeding subscribers to existing cable television services, for example, at a subscriber tap or after a fiber/coaxial cable hub or node in a hybrid fiber coaxial cable television distribution plant. The interexchange carrier may ultimately provide services via the optical fiber leaving the cable television headend. The cable television set top terminal may comprise a telecommunications apparatus. A separate cable modem connected intelligent terminal may provide such services as plain old telephone services, high speed Internet services, video conference services, directory services, multimedia services or other digital services depending on subscriber requirements and capabilities.
A new architecture for providing such services may utilize a video phone and/or other devices to provide new services to an end user; a residence gateway which may be an integrated residence gateway (IRG) disposed near the customer""s premises for multiplexing and coordinating many digital services onto a single twisted-pair line or coaxial cable (or both); a cable facilities management platform (C-FMP) disposed remote from or in the local telephone network""s central office, the subscriber loop or the coaxial cable distribution plant for routing data to an appropriate interexchange company network; and a network server platform (NSP) coupled to the C-FMP for providing new and innovative services to the customer and for distinguishing services provided by the interexchange companies from those services provided by the local telephone network.
As part of this system, one aspect of the invention provides active components located in the CATV/telephone network access unit such as a cable/xDSL modem, multiplexer, and a controller.
The present invention provides an innovative way for integrating a plurality of access devices used to access multiple video, audio and telephoning services into a revolutionary telephoning device. The device utilizes intelligent control circuitry that integrates several service access devices into one unit that has a user-friendly interface and flexible connectivity to the various media and communications networks (for example, cable, SONET, wireless, Internet, and satellite). In order to reduce the cost of each video telephone, some of the software operations are downloaded from the telephone network on an application by application basis. In addition, the present invention is capable of providing a motion detection advertising service so as to display advertisements when a person is in the proximity of the video telephone thus creating a more efficient method of advertising.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a video telephone creates a tremendous advantage by offering a versatile user interface with multiple menu hierarchies which gives the user the ability to select various cable, satellite, and broadcast program packages; access available Internet services; and place and receive phone calls while offering services that are advanced compared with traditional telephoning. Some of these services include: parental control, cable programming access, satellite programming access, interactive and downloadable videogame services, video on demand, voice calls, video calls, voice recognition, bill paying, Internet access, self-provisioning, advertising, e-mail, voicemail, videomail, operator services, debit card transactions, and alarm monitoring.